Secaucus schools, town to receive $18K from NFL halftime show production company, mayor says

By LINH TAT

Staff Writer |

The Record

SECAUCUS — The town and school district will be reimbursed $18,000 after the production company for the National Football League’s Super Bowl halftime show pulled out of plans to lease space at the high school, the mayor said Tuesday.

Mayor Michael Gonnelli said a representative for the production company, Touchdown Entertainment, agreed over the phone to pay $13,000 to the school district and $5,000 to the town for its fire department. A letter and check should be mailed to the town this week, he said, ending a nearly monthlong challenge by Secaucus officials who accused show organizers of reneging on a contract.

“I give them credit for stepping up to the plate and listening to our concerns,” said Gonnelli, who earlier this month fired off a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, seeking $25,000 in expenses and lost income.

Touchdown Entertainment had agreed to pay the school district $18,572 to lease facilities at the high school as a staging area for the halftime show, according to the contract.

Secaucus officials previously reported that the district was to be paid $20,000. On Tuesday, schools Superintendent Robert Presuto clarified that an earlier contract had listed $20,000, but was revised to a lower amount after Touchdown Entertainment decided it didn’t need all the services.

In addition to paying the school district, organizers had agreed to pay the town $10,000 to lease a parking lot, town officials said.

But days before the Super Bowl, the production company switched venues.

An NFL spokesman said earlier this month that Touchdown made the switch because town officials had changed the terms of the deal — a change that would have forced halftime show workers and volunteers to park at an off-site lot, hop a bus to the high school, take another bus to MetLife Stadium, then reverse course for the return trip.

Gonnelli said the town changed the parking scenario because the high school’s lot could not accommodate all the cars. But the change had been suggested prior to Super Bowl organizers agreeing to the arrangement, he said.

Touchdown has previously deferred comments to the NFL. Another message left with the company Tuesday was not returned, and the NFL spokesman could not be reached for comment about the latest offer.

Gonnelli said given the fact that some of the school district’s expected expenses for leasing its space – including cleanup costs and security – never came to fruition, the lower payout offered was justified.

“I thought the 18,000 number was very generous on their part,” he said.

Presuto said he was aware that an agreement had possibly been reached, though he had not gotten official word. He added that he would be pleased with a $13,000 payout to the district.

“I’m satisfied with it,” he said. “I don’t want to drag anything out. … It’s nice to know that we’re not going to end up in the hole because somebody else changed their mind.”

Both town and school officials have spoken of the staff time spent preparing for the halftime show arrangement, including negotiating and reviewing the lease contract and making plans in the event of a large-scale emergency.

Secaucus schools, town to receive $18K from NFL halftime show production company, mayor says

By LINH TAT

Staff Writer |

The Record

SECAUCUS — The town and school district will be reimbursed $18,000 after the production company for the National Football League’s Super Bowl halftime show pulled out of plans to lease space at the high school, the mayor said Tuesday.

Mayor Michael Gonnelli said a representative for the production company, Touchdown Entertainment, agreed over the phone to pay $13,000 to the school district and $5,000 to the town for its fire department. A letter and check should be mailed to the town this week, he said, ending a nearly monthlong challenge by Secaucus officials who accused show organizers of reneging on a contract.

“I give them credit for stepping up to the plate and listening to our concerns,” said Gonnelli, who earlier this month fired off a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, seeking $25,000 in expenses and lost income.

Touchdown Entertainment had agreed to pay the school district $18,572 to lease facilities at the high school as a staging area for the halftime show, according to the contract.

Secaucus officials previously reported that the district was to be paid $20,000. On Tuesday, schools Superintendent Robert Presuto clarified that an earlier contract had listed $20,000, but was revised to a lower amount after Touchdown Entertainment decided it didn’t need all the services.

In addition to paying the school district, organizers had agreed to pay the town $10,000 to lease a parking lot, town officials said.

But days before the Super Bowl, the production company switched venues.

An NFL spokesman said earlier this month that Touchdown made the switch because town officials had changed the terms of the deal — a change that would have forced halftime show workers and volunteers to park at an off-site lot, hop a bus to the high school, take another bus to MetLife Stadium, then reverse course for the return trip.

Gonnelli said the town changed the parking scenario because the high school’s lot could not accommodate all the cars. But the change had been suggested prior to Super Bowl organizers agreeing to the arrangement, he said.

Touchdown has previously deferred comments to the NFL. Another message left with the company Tuesday was not returned, and the NFL spokesman could not be reached for comment about the latest offer.

Gonnelli said given the fact that some of the school district’s expected expenses for leasing its space – including cleanup costs and security – never came to fruition, the lower payout offered was justified.

“I thought the 18,000 number was very generous on their part,” he said.

Presuto said he was aware that an agreement had possibly been reached, though he had not gotten official word. He added that he would be pleased with a $13,000 payout to the district.

“I’m satisfied with it,” he said. “I don’t want to drag anything out. … It’s nice to know that we’re not going to end up in the hole because somebody else changed their mind.”

Both town and school officials have spoken of the staff time spent preparing for the halftime show arrangement, including negotiating and reviewing the lease contract and making plans in the event of a large-scale emergency.